When
the big push towards alternative power for vehicles first started,
many enthusiasts feared that electric and green vehicles would mean
the end of the performance car era. Thankfully, there are several
carmakers who are intent on proving that green and performance can
live on hand in hand.

The first company to offer an
all-electric sports car was Tesla with its Roadster. Tesla is set to
take
the company public with an IPO, which can only mean more
from the company in the future. The Tesla roadster proved to be a
potent competitor performance wise with some of the highest
performing gasoline powered vehicles on the road. Porsche has also
recently been working with a hybrid
911.

Mercedes has a new all-electric sports car it is
showing off that promises some very impressive performance. The car
is called the Mercedes-Benz
SLS AMG E-Cell Prototype. All an enthusiast needs to read is that
the car has 526 horsepower and 649 lb/feet of torque. The beast can
rip to 60 mph in four seconds according to AMG and that mountain of
torque is available from the second you step on the pedal.

AMG
reports that the move from gas power to electric power required no
major modifications to the aluminum frame of the vehicle. The car
also maintains it's near ideal weight distribution. The E-Cell uses
lithium-ion polymer batteries that sit inside the center tunnel of
the car and behind the seats. The battery placement helps to lower
the center of gravity for the vehicle.

Each wheel has its own
electric motor that can spin at 12,000 RPM. The pair of front-mounted
motors did require a redesign of the front suspension. The E-Cell
does retain the same handling characteristics as its gas-powered
brethren. The EV uses the optional ceramic composite brakes from the
gas version and they are gigantic. The front rotors are 18.5-inches
in diameter and the rears are 14.2-inches. The ceramic rotors help
save weight and are used to recapture energy to charge the
battery.

Mercedes claims that the batteries used in the E-Cell
have the industry's best power rating at 480 kW. The batteries have
their own cooling and heating system to keep them inside the ideal
operating range. The electric motors eliminate the exhaust system of
the gas version allowing for improved aerodynamics. The car has an
extending front apron that drops down three inches at 75 mph and
higher to increase down force.

Important
vital specs like price, range, and availability are unknown for now.

"It's okay. The scenarios aren't that clear. But it's good looking. [Steve Jobs] does good design, and [the iPad] is absolutely a good example of that." -- Bill Gates on the Apple iPad